Say It Like You Mean It
by EmilyFuckingFitch
Summary: Prompt: Root and Shaw are married and for some reason John accidentally sees Root naked and makes it his mission to flirt with Root just to annoy Shaw. And Shaw makes it her mission to make out with Root whenever John's near.


"He _what?_"

Shaw's gripping the edges of the counter tightly, her muscles taut. Root can tell from the look on her face that Shaw's angry—

_Very _angry, Root thinks, as the she notices the homicidal glint in Shaw's eyes and the way her knuckles are turning white. And yet, Root can't help but feel a little bit flattered, her heart fluttering at the thought that Shaw's being a little—dare she say it, _jealous._

She shrugs sheepishly at Shaw as she takes another bite of her cereal.

"He was looking for you earlier and let himself in."

"And he just so _happens _to walk in while you were naked?"

Root purses her lips, trying to keep her grin off her face. "I was coming out of the shower. I didn't hear him open our bedroom door."

Shaw narrows her eyes at her, a scowl still hard on her face.

Root rolls her eyes playfully, drops her spoon in the bowl and walks over to Shaw.

"Sweetie, it's nothing," Root placates, but Shaw rips her gaze away from her, crossing her arms. Root sighs, running her hands up and down Shaw's arms, trying to soothe her. "He barely saw anything."

If it were even possible, Shaw's expression darkens even more.

Root frowns.

Okay, new plan.

"If you stop pouting," Root bargains, "I'll do that thing you like tonight."

At that, Shaw's frown softens at the corners of her mouth. Root quirks an eyebrow for a moment, before smirking. She leans in close to Shaw's ear.

"I'll even let you do anything you want with me," Root whispers, her breath hot against Shaw's skin. She feels Shaw shiver in anticipation, and her smirk deepens. She leans back to look at Shaw.

From the feral look in Shaw's eyes, Root knows that she's got her.

Hook, line, sinker.

"Come on," Root grins, grabbing Shaw's hand and leading them towards the bedroom. "I'll make you forget all about it."

That night, forget Shaw did.

* * *

The thing is, Reese isn't so keen on wanting to forget about the incident.

Or rather, he doesn't want _Shaw _to forget about the incident.

It's little things at first, like how he would stand a little too close to Root, how he would give her a knowing smile now and again. Harmless little things, really. But then gradually, they became bolder, more brazen. More recently, he's developed a habit of brushing his hand against hers whenever they both reached for something at the same time.

Although Root's a bit confused as to _why _Reese is doing these things, she's come to find that his little displays of affection don't bother her as much as she thought they would. Maybe it's the fact that they went through hell and back trying to find Shaw and bring her back alive. Maybe it's how he was there for her when no one else was—not even The Machine. Maybe it's the fact that he's always been a constant in her life in the past few years.

For whatever reason, Root sees him as a friend. So while she doesn't actively encourage what he's doing, she finds them…tolerable.

Shaw, however, doesn't feel the same. Every time Shaw catches him—though catch is an overstatement, it's like Reese is _trying _to get caught, because oddly enough, he only does it when Shaw's near—Shaw becomes more irritable towards him, more hostile with every passing instance.

Case in point? Right now.

"Hands off her, Reese," Shaw snarls threateningly, twisting his hand roughly from Root's and pushing him away from her—not enough to hurt, but enough to put considerable distance between the two of them.

Root can practically feel the anger that's radiating off of Shaw, brimming under the surface, and yet Reese just gives Shaw a half-smile, like he knows something she doesn't.

"Is this your way of saying you care, Shaw?" Reese asks teasingly.

A murderous look flashes in Shaw's eyes, unbridled and untamed, and Root shakes her head.

She doesn't know what game Reese is playing, but she hopes it's worth risking his life for.

* * *

Reese, apparently, doesn't get the message.

Because it happens again.

And again.

And again.

This time?

They're discussing the logistics of their plan, their covers, on their positions, on how to sneak into the highly secured building that their number will be visiting that night. And as they're finalizing the details, Root starts walking to the other room, tells them that she's going to change her outfit to fit her new cover, to which Reese says coyly:

"Why bother going in the other room? It's nothing we haven't seen before, Root."

Root freezes, steels herself for what's about to come, fully expecting Shaw to lash out at Reese like she's done the past week. Last time he did this sort of thing Shaw actually hit Reese square in the face, and the time before that she'd actually sprained his arm trying to forcibly get him out of the room. And while seeing Shaw all jealous and possessive does turn her on, she's a bit concerned what Shaw's going to do this time. Reese may be three times Shaw's size, but he's not indestructible.

But that moment of violence? That moment where Shaw snaps? That moment doesn't come this time.

Root looks at Shaw, sees her eyes narrowing at Reese, and then suddenly Shaw's stalking her way towards Root almost predatorily, her eyes wild.

"Shaw?" Root asks tentatively. "What are you—"

Root doesn't get to finish her sentence, because Shaw's pushing her against the wall and kissing her roughly.

Root moans as Shaw bites her bottom lip roughly. She wraps her arms around Shaw's shoulders instinctually, her head swimming in a haze as Shaw runs her tongue against the seam of her lips.

It's not until she feels Shaw smirk against her lips that she registers a pair of heavy footsteps walking away from them.

_Oh, _Root thinks, as Shaw's hands creep up her thigh teasingly, raising the hem of her dress as they go.

Root still doesn't know what game Reese is playing, but at this point, she's not going to complain. Not if it gets Shaw to do _this._

* * *

It's come to a point where Reese doesn't even _have _to say anything. Every time Reese even enters the room with her and Shaw together, Shaw preemptively pushes Root back into a wall and kisses her until Root can't remember her own name.

Don't get her wrong, she's not complaining, but she doesn't think she'll ever get used to Shaw being this..._forward._

"You're mine, got it?" Shaw husks as she kisses along Root's jaw.

Root nods rapidly, her eyes closed. "Yours, yours. Just—fuck, Sameen," Root moans as Shaw bites harshly against her neck.

"Ms. Shaw." Root thinks that's Finch's voice she's hearing, but she's not sure, and that thing that Shaw's doing with her tongue right now certainly isn't helping her concentrate.

Finch clears his throat. "Not that your public display of affection isn't...heartwarming, but we do have a task at hand. A number's life is at stake."

Suddenly, the pressure against her neck is gone, and Root has to fight back the whine in the back of her throat. Instead, she groans in frustration as she opens her eyes.

"He started it," Shaw tells Finch defiantly, as though it was all the reason in the world for her to do what she's doing.

Root rolls her eyes at Shaw's petulance.

_This_ is the woman she married, Root thinks, before Shaw's lips are back on her again and suddenly all her thoughts become filled with short fragments of yes, and more, and don't stop.

She feels her phone vibrate in her back pocket.

"You gonna get that?" Shaw husks, her fingers teasing the skin between her shirt and her jeans.

Root shakes her head, places her hand on Shaw's, urging her to go on. "Just—keep going. It can wait."

"But it might be The Mach—"

"It can wait," Root interrupts, silencing her with a heated kiss. Shaw takes her lead, unbuttoning Root's jeans.

"Hope whoever that is doesn't mind waiting a few hours," Shaw smirks as she slips her hand under Root's waistband, kissing a particular sensitive spot behind her ear.

"They won't," Root moans. "Just keep—fuck."

"That's what I'm doing."

* * *

Root checks her phone later that night, her body sore and sweaty as she lies on their bed.

She grins widely when she reads what the message says.

_You're welcome – Reese._

"You coming in the shower, Root?" Shaw calls from the bathroom.

"Coming!" Root yells back, gets off the bed, a smile still on her face.

She can't remember why she'd ever hated Reese, but _thank god_ he's in her life. She makes a mental note to get him and Zoe together sometime this week, before climbing in the shower with Shaw.

After all, what's family for?


End file.
